Improved railway switch aid skhtal



@uiten gisten utwt @fitte GEORGE L. WARNER, OIT-ROCHESTER, NEW-YORK,ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANI) CORNELIA HAWKS, OF SAME PLAGE.

Lam man No. 65,518, @ma ,nm 4,1867.

IMPROVED AILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL. f

v@ln gegen-lr rein-nh tu' in this trttet rteut mit mthiug'yrnm tte sans.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, GEORG-n L. WAnNi-ni, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulinnn-ovcment in Railroad Switches and Signals; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification.

Figure I a sectional elevation of my improved arrangement.

Figure 2, a plan of the same.

Figure 3, a detached view, showing the contiguous ends of two rails, andthe coupling for connecting the same.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention consists in combining with the ordinary switch, by means ofa cord, a weighted signal, situated in an` elevated frame, and slidingon a suitable guide; also 'employing in connection therewith alever-shaft fixed to turn in the ends of the switch-rails, and havingcams or fingers that couple direct with the ends of the ixcd rails, thewhole opera-ting as hereinafter set forth. A

As represented in the drawings, A A arc the ordinary sliding-switchrails, operated by lever B and connectingrod .C as usual. D D and E Eare the fixed, diverging rails, with which the switch-rails are made tocouple as they are thrown from one to the other. The ends of thcswitch-rails are provided with hearings to receive a shaft, Gr, whichthus moves with the rails. This shaft is provided with a hand-lever, H,at one end, and also with pairs of cams or ingers, a a, so situated asto correspond in position with the fixed rails. When the lever isdepressed cach pair of lingers turns down so as to clamp its rail andhold it in place; but when the lever is elevated the cams arccorrespondingly elevated to free the rails. On the opposite side of thetrack from the switch is situated an elevated standard, I, with aprojection, K, preferably extending over the track. This projection isprovided with a. guide, b, on which freely slides a signal, L. Thissignal may he in the form o f a lantern or any other device that willserve the desired purpose. lfVith one side ot' the signal connects acord, c, which passes over a pulley, d, and attaches to the top of thelever B, and with the other side connects a cord, c', which passes overa pulley, d', and has attached atthe opposite cud a. weight, f, thatruns down in the hollow standard I. y

In order to shift the switch the cani-lever H is elevated so as to freethe cams from the ends ot the fixed rails. rIlle switch lever is thenoperated to 'throw the rails, when the cams are again turned downto holdthem in place. When the switch-lever is thrown out, as in tig. I, itwill he seen that the signal will he drawn out. with it; and when it isthrown back .in the opposite position the weightyl will draw the signalhack hehind the screen g (or signal-hor() out of sight. In this mannerthe action of thc signal is made automatic with the switch. Theprojection K made in roof fo`1'ni`tc'protcct the signal from theweather. l

Signals have before been connected with switches in such a. manner as tochange their position as the switch is operated. Such, broadly, I do notclaim. But in ordinary switches of this kind thc signal is connecteddirectly with 'the switch, and forms a fixture thereof, low down, andcannot he easily seen by thc engineer, especially in turning a curvo, orif any obstruction intervcnes. Byjnxy arrangement I am ena-bled ltoelevate the signal toa-ny desired height, and to locate it at a distancefrom the switch, and also to bring it directly over the track. Thiseffect is especially produced by the employment of thc cords c ey andthe wcightf, in connection with thc switch-lover.

A shaft with earns has also been before used to hold the switch-railsinplace as their position 1s changed, hut in such case the shaft hasheen stationary or fixed under the sliding-rails, and the camsharesiniply turned up on one or the other side of said sliding-rails tohold them in place. My caux-shaft differs from this in having itshearings in the ends of the sliding-rails and moving with them. and inhaving thc cams couple over on the ends of the contiguous xcd rails,instead of 'turning up against the edges of the s\vitclx-rails. By thisarrangement I elevate the shaft above a position where water willcollect around it and freeze, and I cou-plc ,and hohl thc two contiguousends of the sliding' and fixed rails together, directly at thecontact-joint, so as to retain theLn more firmly in linc than couldotherwise he the case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement with the switch B C of the elevated andisolated signal L, connected by the cord c, and provided withcounterbalanceWeiglitj; operating in the manner and for the purposespecified.

I also claim specially locating the cam-shaft G in the ends of the`shifting-rails, and providing it with cams that couple the ends of themils directly together, as herein set foi-th.

I also claim the arrangement us n whole, consisting ofthe weightedsignal L, cord c, switoliB C, cuin-slmft and ooms G a a, and thestandard-frame I K, With guide b and scieen g, as set forth.

In witness whereof' I have signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. WARNE R.

Witnesses z R. F. OsGooD, JAY HYATT.

